KEY POINTS

  • Errol Spence reportedly hitting harder since fatal car accident
  • Spence open to move or cut weight to fight Canelo Alvarez
  • Manny Pacquiao said July fight with Spence still possible

IBF and WBC welterweight champ Errol Spence Jr. reportedly hits even harder since the fatal car accident and is now ready for his highly anticipated return.

The proposed Spence vs. eight-division title holder Manny Pacquiao and current WBO welterweight champ Terence Crawford fights might not happen anytime soon. Though Spence has fully recovered from the fatal car crash, new training footages show that he is a lot heavier now and a bit far from 147 lbs.

As he prepares for his return, Spence is looking a lot bigger than his usual form. And in a recent interview with Elie Seckbach of EsNews, Spence’s trusted trainer Derrick James backed the statement that his returning fighter hits even harder after the accident.

“It felt like it has a little extra weight behind it,” James said of Spence’s punches.

Spence on the other hand, also said that he actually feels that he has been hitting harder now that he’s heavier. When asked about how he would match with boxers at 160 and 168-lb divisions, “The Truth” replied by saying “I’ll be a lot stronger that’s for sure.”

In a different interview, Spence admitted that he thinks he currently weighs above 160 lbs at this point. As he warmed himself up for an intense workout with his trainer James and just before the pair started their session inside the ring, James was asked to confirm Spence’s previous statement about a fight with Canelo.

Apparently, Spence has said that he’s open to fight the Mexican superstar during a media scrum at a Dallas Cowboys game. And now that he evidently heavier than ever, James was asked if Spence would be willing to cut weight for a showdown with Canelo.

James replied with a definitive “Yes, he (Spence) can” and Spence was seemingly OK with the idea as well.

Errol Spence Jr.
Errol Spence Jr. could be set for his biggest fight yet. In this picture, Spence reacts after knocking out Carlos Ocampo in the first round of a IBF Welterweight Championship bout at The Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, June 16, 2018. Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Despite weighing over 160 lbs, Spence is still viewed as Pacquiao’s next possible opponent in July. The Spence vs. Pacquiao fight has long been talked about ever since the Filipino legend schooled Keith Thurman last year.

In a recent interview with ANC, Pacquiao named Spence as one of the three top candidates for his next fight, Boxing Scene reported.

"There's a lot of possible opponents, like Mikey Garcia, Errol Spence or [Terence] Crawford and also there's boxers from Canada and Mexico who want to fight with me,” Pacquiao said.

However, Pacquiao made it clear who his two top choices are "That's Errol Spence and Garcia.”